The introduction to How to Become an Advanced Earl Riser says”

The modules can be taken in any order and worked on as there is no linear way of doing this, this will become obvious when you read them, for example I speak about cutting down on coffee, if you're not a coffee drinker it won't apply to you.

Given that advice, I'm going to take the easy way. First, I'll eliminate those modules that I'm already doing. Then, I'll take the easiest modules, or those that require the least amount of moderation on my part. Call me chicken, but I find goals are more likely to get done when the steps are small and easy to take action on.

Here are the modules that I've already completed:

Module 4: Investing for Your Sleeping Life

Having a good mattress is a key element in a good night's sleep. That should be obvious to all of us. In my experience, the older you get the more true that is. My young kids can fall fast asleep on a hard floor, but if I sleep in a less than comfortable place, I wake up with all sorts of aches and pains.

Fortunately, we found what we think is the best mattress on earth about 13 years ago. It's a hybrid of memory foam and adjustable air mattress — and it's divine to sleep on! It's called the Pure Health Mattress.

I know, their web site is absolutely horrendous. It's outdated and cluttered and hard to find specific information. The navigation is inconsistent and unclear. So, they're lousy at web design. But they are great at mattress design.

When our bed finally was past it's prime this past autumn, we still didn't have to buy a new one. We simply bought an upgrade kit and refurbished the old one. Saved a lot of money and added many years to our great mattress. I honestly don't think I'll ever buy another brand of mattress if I have the choice.

Module 12: Cut Down on the Booze

I'm what they used to call a teetotaler. We don't drink any alcohol. Cutting out the booze completely = done.

Module 13: The Benefits of Water

If you don't drink much water, reading this module should convince you. Aitchison discusses nine real benefits to drinking adequate amounts and gives you a crucial reminder about how other beverages can effect negate the goodness of your water intake.

I already drink quite a bit of water. I do this by filling a special water jug almost every morning (I add a bit of lemon juice for flavor) and carry it around with me. I sip it all through the day and make sure I drink at least one jug full. This is an easy way to fill this requirement.

Module 16: Eradicate Nighttime Noise

Nighttime noises aren't really an issue for me. Our youngest child is seven (although crying babies isn't really a noise you can reasonably “eradicate”), we have no pets, and live in a quiet neighborhood.

There are some noises I really like to hear — and that help me sleep — but unfortunately most of those noises (vaporizers, fans, white noise) really annoy Sam and keep him awake. We need a solution we can both live with.

4 Help to Sleep Modules Complete

The course has 18 modules. The first 16 are practical things you can do to get a better night's sleep. Four of those are things I'm already doing, so I have 12 to start working on tomorrow. As before, I'll take the easiest first to build some momentum on this lifelong problem.

Then I can move on to the last two modules. They include:

Module 17: The Process of Getting Up Early

This module takes the previous 16 modules and takes the practical step of training you to be a real, true morning person, an early  bird — and one that is refreshed and alert.

Module 18: Make the Most of your Extra Time

This module teaches you — as a new advanced early riser — to use your newfound time and energy to do great things in your life. If you just want to watch more episodes of Gilligan's Island, then this module isn't for you. But if you want to make your life amazing, this is the place to start.

Do you already have some good sleep habits? What are you already doing that's making good sleep a reality?